Chopper's Politics

On the day the former PM faces having his parliamentary pass removed after being found to have “deliberately” misled MPs over partygate, Christopher Hope is joined in the Red Lion by Boris Johnson's long-time pal, legendary pollster Frank Luntz. Frank thinks comparisons to Trump are unfair on Johnson, but bemoans the fact his friend did not take the seriousness of his post more seriously.

Also on the podcast, the so-called grandfather of Brexit, Bill Cash MP, on why he's retiring and whether government is 'walking the line' when it comes to delivering on Brexit.

Plus Phil White of Patriotic Millionaires on why he's pushing to pay more taxes, and Investigations Editor Claire Newell on The Telegraph's new podcast series, The Lockdown Files.

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Finally the Covid inquiry starts next week - and the Government is in a right old tangle over what to do about it. Veteran Conservative MP and former Cabinet Minister David Davis joins Christopher Hope in the Red Lion to voice his concerns about the shadowy Government body called the Counter Disinformation Unit, which was used to spy on lockdown critics and why he'd only give the current government a 6/10.

Also on the podcast, we explore what would Labour do about the Covid Whatsapp row, if it's not resolved by the time a potential Labour govt is formed next year, with Shadow Cabinet Office minister Baroness Jenny Chapman. She admits she had misgivings about closing schools, and also makes her pitch for a Prime Minister Starmer.

Plus Tory London Mayor hopeful Dan Korski on what the capital would look like if he took the reigns, and his thoughts on a certain former London Mayor with a penchant for zip-wires.

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With the advent of AI and concerns over 8 million 'economically inactive' people in Britain, we thought it was high time we asked Mel Stride MP, Work and Pensions Secretary, back to the Red Lion pub for a chinwag.

Hot off his heels and hot off the press was Onward think-tank Director Sebastian Payne brandishing the findings from their report "Missing Millennials", which sets out the challenge facing the Tories with younger voters.

And in a week where Whatsapps from Boris Johnson are dominating the headlines again and the Partygate drama drags on, who better to hear from that Lord Cruddas of Shoreditch on the stitch-up of the former PM and Rishi Sunak's lack of mandate.

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Immigration. The issue which drove so many people to vote to leave the EU before the 2016 EU referendum is back in the news and rising as an issue. Alp Mehmet, Chairman of Migration Watch, popped by the Red Lion pub to discuss the newest immigration figures of 606,000 net.

It’s also been a big week for Labour's plans for the economy with Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves jetting off (pun intended) to America to deliver her "business model for Britain" speech. One senior Labour MP who is doing some serious thinking about inequality and what the next Labour government needs to do about it is Liam Byrne, MP for Hodge Hill and a former Treasury minister.

Plus, former Boris Johnson aide-turned-novelist Cleo Watson joins Chris to talk about partygate, Cummings and her new novel, "Whips", described as a cross between 50 Shades of Grey and House of Cards.

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Olympian James Cracknell joins Christopher Hope in the Red Lion to explain why he hopes become a Tory MP, appropriately in Henley on Thames, and how he would react if a certain blonde, former PM tapped him on the shoulder and asked him to step aside...

Also on the podcast, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer MP, fresh from a busy few weeks with the Coronation and then Eurovision, encourages Britain to embrace its cultural soft power, and urges charities to stay out of politics.

Plus former producer to Andrew Neil, Jeremy Paxman and Emily Maitlis, Rob Burley reveals which revered TV legend once wrote a speech for then Prime Minister Thatcher, putting to bed the idea that journalists now are more biased, and shares his top interviewing tips with Chopper, not that he needs them...

Why is this lying bastard lying to me? by Rob Burley

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Sir Charles Walker MP joins Christopher Hope in the Red Lion this week to express his fears that we are descending into authoritarianism, after arrests of protestors this weekend at the Coronation. Plus as the MP for Broxbourne is not seeking re-election, he gets a few more things off his chest, such as how MPs these days are just "superannuated citizens advice bureaus". Ouch.

Also on the podcast, Miriam Cates MP debates the nature of conservatism and reveals why she cried when the Government announced its plans to help only working mothers with the costs of their childcare, and it may not be for the reason you think.

And veteran lobby journalist Andy McSmith returns to the Red Lion to share some choice anecdotes from his 40 years reporting in Westminster, and give his verdict on the state of modern politicians.

Strange people I have known, by Andy McSmith

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Sir Keir Starmer claims that Labour is on course to win a majority at the next general election, after the party made gains and the Tories suffered heavy losses at local elections across England.

But is claiming a Conservative crumbling to be a Labour win correct? Electoral Calculus's Martin Baxter and the Sunday Telegraph's Tony Diver join Christopher Hope at Telegraph Towers to discuss.

Plus former digital minister Matt Warman MP discuss the other hot topic of the moment - no, not the Coronation - but AI, after concerns were raised this week about whether developments in artificial intelligence could have an impact on jobs sooner than we think.

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Christopher Hope gets a field trip this week, leaving the Red Lion behind for Lewes in Sussex. Chopper is joined by Conservative Party Chairman, Greg Hands and mental health minister and local MP Maria Caulfield, as they went out knocking on doors ahead of next week's local elections. Hands is quick to say that Sunak plays well on the doorsteps, but do the voters we hear from agree? And which former leader would he like to see being more vocal (clue is in the title, listeners).

Plus the Conservative frontrunner for next year's London mayoral election, Samuel Kasumu, tells Chris why he has the backing of senior Tories such as Priti Patel and Grant Shapps, and why he wants to focus on improving the lots of people today and in future, rather than dwelling on Britain's past.

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Tory grandee Sir Robert Syms makes a startling prediction to Christopher Hope in the Red Lion this week - he thinks his party can win the next election. The MP for Poole Symes thinks that people's political views are not as fixed as they used to be, and once the ship has steadied, Sunak can give the party a vision to inspire voters.

Also on the podcast, Baroness Anne Jenkin explains the impact that smartphones are having on young people's perceptions of sex: "they have porn in their pockets and we don't know what the consequences of are going to be of this in future".

Plus Pam Moorhouse and Gerard Dughill give Chopper their pitch for a return to historic British counties.

Online porn is warping an entire generation, by Baroness Anne Jenkin

A century of the most powerful club in Parliament, by Christopher Hope

Get Back Our British Counties

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Chopper is off frolicking in the sun so this week Dia Chakravarty is in the podcast hotseat for an in-depth look at a subject that saw Conservative MPs starting their Easter holidays with a spring in their step - the CPTPP, or the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. Not exactly catchy, is it?

Amanda Tickel, Head of Tax and Trade Policy at Deloitte UK, and Liam Halligan, Economist and Telegraph columnist break down what the CPTPP is and how it differs from the EU.

Plus Philip Davies MP and Shadow Minister for Trade Nick Thomas-Symonds give their somewhat different assessments on the possible pros and cons, whether the deal represents the Brexit people voted for, and how Labour might have negotiated differently.

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